Napkin dispenser



AApril l2, 1932. \A. E. coFRlN NAPKIN DisPENsER,

Fiied March e, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet A. E. COFRIN NAPKIN DIsPEpsER April 12, 1932.

Filed March 6, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 12, 1932. A. E, coFRiN NAPKIN DISPENSER 3 Sheets-Shea?l 3 Filed March 6, 1929' @www ` 15 drawin Patented Apr. 12, 1932 UNITED srA'TEs AUSTIN E. GUERIN, I' GREEN BAY, `W'ISNSII' NAPKIN DISPENSER Application led latch 6, 1929. Serial No. 344,748.

The invention relates to napkin dispensers and has as an object the provision of a device of this character of extremely simple construction.

6 It is a further object of the invention to provide a dispenser which shallbe cheap to produce and etoient in action.

It is a further object of the inventio'n to provide a dispenser having a minimum of moving parts from which napkins may be readily removed one at a time.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying showing illustrative embodiments of the lnvention and wherein Fig. 1 is a front elevation;

Fig. 2 is-a vertical sectionon -line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal transverse section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;'

Fig 4 is a face View of a blank from which the upper portion of the casing may be produced;

Fig. 5 is a like view of a blank from which the bottom of the casing may be produced;

Fig. 6 is a section corresponding to Fig. 2 showing a modification with its center portion omitted;

Fig. 7 is a central vertical seetlon of a further modicaton;

Fig. 8 is a vertical section on line 8-8 of Fig. 7; and v Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view of the follower plate support of Figs. 7 and 8.

As shown the device comprises a casing formed of two parts only, the side walls 10, 11 being integral with the top wall 12 and the bottom 1 3 being formed of a single piece of material cut to form a blank which isl 17 and 18 without wrinkling ofthe material in the corners. e 5 The anges referred to are for the purpose pressing of the bottom to this orm.

of retaining the folded sheets to be dispensed, in the casing.

The bottom is formed of a second piece of material which is approximately square in shape, when the relative dimensions of the dispenser are-as shown in the drawings, with portions out away at opposite sides to free the four tabs 19, one of which is shown in Fig. 2. The corners of the bottom blank are cut away to provide the outer edges 20 o f the tabs 19 and to free portions 21 of the opposite edges of the blank,the said edges being turned upwardy as at 22, 23 to rovlde the bottom retaining ange of the faces of the fixture. -The four tabs 19 are also turned upwardly to telescope with the sides 10, 1l o the upper portion of the casing. The blank for the bottom is shown in Fig. 5.

To assist in the feed ofthe sheets toward the faces, the bottom 13 is pressed to form 70 downwardly and outwardly inclined surfaces from the center of the casing toward the dispensing faces thereof, the se arati'on of tabs 19 at the portions 24 thereo ermitting the' n In the cutting away of the corners of the blank the bottom of the resulting notches is formed at an angle of substantially 45 to the sides thereof and when the margins 22, 23 are bent up the portions 21 are pressed into engagement with the edges of said angular portions, the margins 16, 17 of the casing overlapping said portion 21.

The central portion ofthe sides 10, 11 is desirably depressed to provide an ornamental panel as at 25, 26.

. To provide horizontal surfaces upon` the bottom of the dispenser, each corner is ressed to produce a boss as at 28, 29 to which uttons 30, as of rubber, may be secured, as for instance by rivets 31.

To` feed sheets toward the respective openings defined by the marginal flanges 16, 17, 18, there are shown follower plates 32, 33, shown as supported upon leaf springs 34, 35 which 95 may be secured to the plates as by placing the ends of the springs behind tabs 36, 37 struck out from the material of the plates and bent about the springs, as clearly shown in the section of Fig. 3.

To support the bottom ends of springs 34,

' 35 there is shown a member 38 secured at one de of an off-center opening 39 1n the botthe bottom of the casing for convenience in assembly and as it is usually desirableto form this member of thicker gauge material than the bottom of the casing, but it is obvious that the member 41 could be integral with theV material ofthe bottom of the casing, freed in the formation of opening 39.

To cause the napkins to bulge at their center portions, the margins 16, 17, 18 are shown as projecting from the plane of the face of the casing, which projection is provided for at the lower portion of the side walls 10, 11 by the angular formation of the corners of the bottom of the casing above referred to. To assist in the bulging of the napkins and to ensure that the last of the napkins can be readily removed from the dispenser, the margins of the follower plates 32, 33 are shown as angularly related to the bottom of the plates, as indicated at 43' 44. Projecting bosses 45, 46, 47 are desira 1y` provided by outwardly pressing the material lof the central portion of the follower plates to further assist in the bulging of the sheets.

To arrest the inward movement of the fol-' lower plates from the respective faces of the casing, there is shown a member 48 projecting inwardly from the top wall of the casing, shown as secured thereto by means of a horizontal member 49 which may be secured to the casin as by soldering, electric welding, or the li e.

Sheets to be dispensed are preferably folded in such manner as to provide a central tab or tabs upon the face of the fold which may be grasped bythe user through either open face of the device, the outward bulging of the napkins assisting in ready engagement of the f fingers with the tab.

In the modification of Fig. 6 the follower plates 32', 33 are shown as supported from the top wall of the casing, the member 48 being utilized for this purpose, and the member 41 is utilized as the central stop for thev follower plates. In this fi ure the member 41 is shown asformed of t e material freed in the formation of the openin 39.

The sheets may be introduce into the casing by la ing the package of sheets against an open ace and by pressure upon the central portion of the package causing the sheets to be outwardly iexed at the margin of the fold to snap through the opening where they will straighten out and become engaged behind the margins 16, 17, 18, 22, 23 of the openings and will then be retained in the casing tenace? In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 7-9'the follower plates 32, 33 are shown as ivotally connected to the supporting memrs 50,-51 which are in the form of inverted L-shaped Vmembers having portions 52, 53 pivotally secured to the ends of a plate 54 which is shown as rigidly attached .to the upper Vwall 12 of the casing-as by rivets, spotwelding, or the like. i

The pivotal connection referred to is desirably formed of ears 55, 56l turned downwardly from the material of the member 54 at its ends, which ears are perforated and the members 52, 53 are shown as formed with projections 57, 58 engaging said perforations. The extremities of members 50, 51 are shown as having a like pivotal connection with strips 59 60 secured to the follower plates 32", 33 the ends of which strips are bent outwardly to provide perforatedfears in like manner with the ends of strip 54.

To press the follower plates toward the dispensing faces of the casing, a resilient member is placed between the portions 52, 53, and

the strip 54.- Inthe form illustrated the resilient member is shown as a U-shaped spring, one end of which is secured as by a` rivet 61 to the member 52 or 53 and the curve of the U extends through a perforation 62 in the member 52 or 53'whereby the free end 63 of the U may impinge against the strip 54. The operation of this support will be obvious from this description.

In this form of thel device the center stop 41. is shown as a separate member extending g upwardly through an opening in the bottom wall 13 of the casing, .said member being L-shaped and' the lower portion thereofbeing secured to the bottom 13 as by a rivet 64.

Minor, changes may be made in the physical embodiment of the invention within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit thereof.

I claim:

1. A napkin dispenser comprising, in combination, a casing comprising integral top and side walls, a bottom comprising upturned marginal flanges telescopically related with and secured to the lower ends of said side walls, said casing having an opening bounded i on two sides by sheet retaining flanges integral with said side walls, andk means in said casing to press sheets against said flanges.

2. A napkin dispenser comprising, in combination, a casing comprising integral top and side walls, a bottom comprising uptuined marginal flanges telescopically related with and secured to the lower ends of said side walls, said casing having an opening bounded on three sides by sheet retaining flanges integral with said .side walls and at its lower side by a sheet retaining fiange integral with said' bottom and means in said casing to' press sheets against said lianges.

$5 and fed toward the openings by plates 32, 3. A napkin dispenser comprising, in combination, a casing comprising top and side walls and having open opposite vertical faces,

said openings bounded on three sides by marginal flanges integral with said side walls 5 respectively, a bottom `for said casing having its margins upturned to provide flanges telescoping with and secured to said side walls and means Within the casing to press sheets to be dispensed toward said openings.

4. A napkin dispenser comprising, in cornbination, a casing comprising top and side walls and having open opposite vertical faces, said openings bounded on three sides by marginal flanges integral with .said side walls respectively, said flanges flaring outwardly with respect to said faces, a bottom for said casinghaving its margins upturned to provideflanges telescoping with and secured to said side walls and means within the casing to press sheets to be dispensed toward said openings.

5. A napkin dispenser comprising, in combination, a casing comprising an upper end wall, side walls rigid with said wall, said walls carrying marginalflanges projecting into opposite open faces of the casing and defining sheet delivery openings, and a lower end wall sloping from its center portion downwardly and outwardly toward said openings, said sloping portion carrying upturned flanges secured to the lower portions of said side wall, follower plate supporting means secured to one of said end walls mid- Way between said open faces and follower plates supported on said means acting to press sheets in the casing toward the respective openings.

6. A napkin dispenser comprising, in combination, a casing comprising an upper end wall, side walls rigid with said wall, said walls carrying marginal flanges projecting' into opposite openvfaces of the casing and defining sheet delivery openings, and al lower end wall sloping from its center portion 'downwardly and outwardly toward said openings, said sloping portion carrying upturned flanges secured lto the lower portionv of said side wall, follower plate supporting means secured to one of said end walls midway between said open faces, follower plates supported on said means acting to press sheets in the casing toward the respective openings, and means carried by the remaining end wall midway between said o en faces to checkinward movement of sai plates.

7. A napkin dispenser comprising, in combination, a Casin comprisin side walls and a trop wall rigid t erewith, a ottom wall, upturned tabs carried by opposite edges of said bottom wall and secured to the lower portions of `the side walls, the corners of said bottom wall truncated, marginal flanges. carried by the vertical edges of the side walls, flaring outwardl from opposite open faces of the casing an secured at their lower ends about said truncated corners, said flanges acting to retain sheets to be dispensed, in the casing, -and means in the casing to press.

truncated corners, marginal flanges carried' by the vertical edges of the side walls, flaring outwardly from opposite open faces of the casing and secured at their lower ends to said ends of the sheet retaining flanges, said flanges acting to retain sheets to be dispensed, in the casing, and means in the casin to press sheets toward said open faces an against said flaring flanges.

9. A napkin dispenser comprising, in combination, a casing having top and side walls and an open sheet dispensing face, marginal flanges carried by vertical edges of said side walls and projecting into and flaring outwardly at the sides of said opening, a follower plate movably supported in said casing to press sheets to lbe dispensed against said flanges said plate having a plane central portion, its width substantially equal to the space between the edges of said flanges, the margins of said plate flaring backwardly to substantiallyl fit against the inner surfaces J of said flanges, and means projecting from said plane portion to increase the bulge of sheets from said o ening. t

10, A napkin ispenser comprising, in combination, a casing comprising integral top and side wallsand opposite open faces and a bottom having upstanding tabs integral vtherewith and telescoping between and secured to the lower ends of said side walls, said bottom formed with a central ridge, the upper surface Aof said bottom sloping downwardly and outwardly toward sai'd` open faces, a portion of said bottom cut away to provide an opening with one marginat said ridge, an angle member having a lower flange underlying the imperforate portion of said bottom and secured thereto and a vertical flange projecting through said opening centrally of said casing, follower plates movably mounted in the casing upon supporting means mountedon said vertical flange whereby toA ress sheets in the .casing toward said open aces and sheet retaining flanges carried by`said side walls and defining the sides of the'open faces of the casing.

AUSTIN E. COFRIN. 

